4.5 Supply Building

Building a supply of high-quality child care that meets the needs and preferences of parents participating in CCDF is necessary to meet CCDF’s core purposes. Lead Agencies must support parent choice by providing some portion of direct services via grants or contracts, including at a minimum for children in underserved geographic areas, infants and toddlers, and children with disabilities. 4.5.1 Child care services available through grants or contracts Does the Lead Agency provide direct child care services through grants or contracts for child care slots? X Yes, statewide. Describe how the Lead Agency ensures that parents who enroll with a provider who has a grant or contract have choices when selecting a provider: The Resource and Referral (R&R) agencies located in every county throughout the State are required to have written referral policies available to all persons requesting them regardless of income level or other eligibility requirements. The R&R agencies are required by regulation to assist parents in choosing a provider by providing parents with information regarding how to select child care services which will meet their needs and a range of possible child care alternatives from which to choose. Additionally, on the consumer education website mychildcareplan.org, in the resource section, there are several resources related to helping parents choose a child care that fits their needs. See: https://mychildcareplan.org/resource-category/?topic=choosing- child-care. Contractors will also engage in conversations with families regarding alternative child care options in their community in the event that their program may not meet all of the child care needs of the family. This will happen sometimes prior to having been counseled on their child care choices through an R&R agency. In the event that a family’s needs were not being met providers/contractor will also refer the family back to a local R&R for more options or in counties where there are centralized eligibility lists (CEL), they can support the family to apply to the CEL. The general process for parents to select providers regardless of if they have a certificate or would like to use a grant/contract slot for direct services centers on Resource and Referral (R&R) agencies. Families, including those who enroll with a provider who has a grant or contract, can request a list of providers based on the families’ needs from their R &R Programs. The range of possible child care choices for which the R&R agencies provide information includes child care services through grants or contracts for child care slots. Parents who enroll with a provider who has a grant or contract can learn through their local R&R agency about other choices, including other direct-contract providers. Additionally, on the consumer education website mychildcareplan.org, parents can search for child care using filters for special needs, which list certain disabilities, and also by filters for subsidies, such “Accepts Subsidized Payments,” “Bridge,” “CDE: All but State Preschool,” “CDE: State Preschool,” “Head Start,” and “Other Public Contract.” To ensure that parents have a variety of child care choices, the Lead Agency uses county-wide zip code priority data to address gaps in child care including addressing infant and toddler child care supply and demand. Zip code data is used to prioritize subsidized funding to support the need for direct-contract child care slots across California through programs such as the general child care and development program (CCTR) and family child care home education network program (CFCC). ☐ Yes, in some jurisdictions, but not statewide. Describe how many jurisdictions use grants or contracts for child care slots and how the Lead Agency ensures that parents who enroll with a provider who has a grant or contract have choices when selecting a provider: Not applicable. ☐ No. If no, describe any Lead Agency plans to provide direct child care services through grants and contracts for child care slots: Not applicable. If no, skip to question 4.5.2. i. If yes, identify the populations of children served through grants or contracts for child care slots (check all that apply). For each population selected, identify the number of slots allocated through grants or contracts for direct service of children receiving CCDF. ☐ X Children with disabilities. Number of slots allocated through grants or contracts: The Lead Agency administers multiple child care and development programs for direct service of children receiving CCDF. These programs serve children under the age of 13 and older children with exceptional needs through contracts for child care slots in centers or in family child care home networks operated or administered by either public or private agencies. These programs are the general child care and development program (CCTR) and the family child care home education network program (CFCC). California funds 54,327 slots in these direct-contract programs. All of these slots are available to children with disabilities, but California does not allocate a particular number of slots in these programs to children with disabilities. While these slots are not specifically allocated to children with disabilities, California ensures that there are direct contract slots available specifically for children with disabilities through its application of child care priorities. In direct-contract programs as in all of California’s child care and development programs, if two or more families are in the same priority for child care services in relation to income, the family that has a child with exceptional needs shall be admitted first. All of the providers where the 54,327 slots are located are CCDF eligible providers that meet all CCDF requirements. The funding used for CCTR and for CFCC is federal CCDF funding and state general funds. In addition, Child Care for Children with Severe Disabilities (CHAN) provides $1.9 million State General Fund in the budget to support 111 children and young adults with severe disabilities under 21 years of age. X Infants and toddlers. Number of slots allocated through grants or contracts: LPCs identify areas of local child care need (such as Infant and Toddler gaps and child care deserts) through local level annual Zip Code Priority Reports and Needs Assessment Reports, every 5 years. LPCs us data to determine local funding priorities and critical areas of need to support capacity building. In addition to data zip code data, LPCs Collaborate with subsidized and nonsubsidized child care providers, county welfare departments, human service agencies, regional centers, job training programs, parent organizations, early start family resource centers, local child care resource and referral programs, and other interested parties to identify local level child care gaps like not having enough spaces for infant and toddler care. LPC zip code data is then used to support the General Child Care and Development (CCTR) Request for Application (RFA) process. The Child Care and Development Division (CDSS) prioritizes applications by (1) providing direct services to infants and toddlers, and (2) serving children in underserved areas per the LPC priorities. Award eligibility and distribution is determined by slot-type information and headquarter address information provided by the applicant. Funding is not guaranteed to all eligible applicants due to the amount of funding provided in the budget each year. The CCDD has been able to award the full request of infant/toddler slots to eligible applicants regardless of LPC priority during the last three fiscal years. ☐ X Children in underserved geographic areas. Number of slots allocated through grants or contracts: The Migrant Child Care and Development Program (CMIG) provides $43.8 million in State General Fund to support 2,226 children for children of migrant agricultural families. Counties serving up to 30 children through the CMIG program include: San Luis Obispo, Solano, Colusa, Imperial, Ventura, Siskiyou, and Merced. Counties serving between 31-100 children through the CMIG program include: San Diego, Stanislaus, Riverside, San Joaguin, Sacramento, Monterey, and Fresno. Counties serving > 100 children through the CMIG program: Kern & Tulare. ☐ Children needing non-traditional hour care. Number of slots allocated through grants or contracts: Not applicable. ☐ School-age children. Number of slots allocated through grants or contracts: Not applicable. ☐ X Children experiencing homelessness. Number of slots allocated through grants or contracts: The Lead Agency administers multiple child care and development programs for direct service of children receiving CCDF that serve children under age 13 and older children with exceptional needs through contracts for child care slots in centers or in family child care home networks operated or administered by either public or private agencies. These programs are the general child care and development program (CCTR) and the family child care home education network program (CFCC). California does not allocate a particular number of slots in these programs to children experiencing homelessness. However, California ensures that there are direct contract slots available specifically for children experiencing homelessness by making such children categorically eligible for child care and development services, including in the CCTR and CFCC programs. ☐ Children in urban areas. Percent of CCDF children served in an average month: Not applicable. ☐ Children in rural areas. Percent of CCDF children served in an average month: Not applicable. ☐ Other populations. If checked, describe The Lead Agency administers multiple child care and development programs for direct service of children receiving CCDF. These programs serve children under the age of 13 and older children with exceptional needs through contracts for child care slots in centers or in family child care home networks operated or administered by either public or private agencies. These programs are the general child care and development program (CCTR) and the family child care home education network program (CFCC). California funds 54,327 slots in these direct-contract programs. While these slots are not specifically allocated to children from particular populations, CA ensures that there are direct contract slots available specifically for certain populations through its application of child care priorities. In direct-contract programs as in all of California’s child care and development programs, first priority is given to neglected or abused children who are recipients of child protective services, or children who are at risk of being neglected or abused, upon written referral from a legal, medical, or social services agency. If an agency is unable to enroll a child in the first priority category, the agency must refer the family to local resource and referral services to locate services for the child. If two or more families are in the same priority for child care services in relation to income, and there is no family of the same priority with a child with exceptional needs, the family of the same priority in which the primary home language is a language other than English is admitted first. ☐ X If yes, how are rates for slots funded by grants and contracts determined by the Lead Agency? Consistent with statutory requirements, each fiscal year the state budget identifies the amount of funding available for distribution in each program type. The CDSS uses Local Child Care and Development Planning Councils (LPC) priorities, updated annually, to distribute funds in the form of contracts to the zip codes with greatest need in terms of infant/toddler care, preschool-aged care, and school-age care. The LPC priorities indicate underserved areas at the zip code level. This information allows CDSS to reassess whether funding shifts are needed to increase the supply of child care and development services in the neediest areas of the state. 4.5.2 Care in the child’s home (in-home care) The Lead Agency must allow for in-home care (i.e., care provided in the child’s own home) but may limit its use. Will the Lead Agency limit the use of in-home care in any way? ☐ X Yes. ☐ No. If yes, what limits will the Lead Agency set on the use of in-home care? Check all that apply. i. ☐ Restricted based on the minimum number of children in the care of the in- home provider to meet the Fair Labor Standards Act (minimum wage) requirements. Describe: Not applicable. ii. ☐ X Restricted based on the in-home provider meeting a minimum age requirement. Describe: Program requirements regarding records on file concerning in-home service providers indicate that if a contractor is providing reimbursement for services, records must be maintained. In accordance with 5 California Code of Regulations 18230, a California driver’s license number or other valid and recognized form of identification to verify that the caregiver is at least eighteen (18) years of age is required. iii. ☐ Restricted based on the hours of care (i.e., certain number of hours, non- traditional work hours). Describe: Not applicable. iv. ☐ Restricted to care by relatives. (A relative provider must be at least 18 years of age based on the definition of eligible child care provider.) Describe: Not applicable. v. ☐ Restricted to care for children with special needs or a medical condition. Describe: Not applicable. vi. ☐ Restricted to in-home providers that meet additional health and safety requirements beyond those required by CCDF. Describe: Not applicable. vii. ☐ X Other. Describe: Effective, July 1, 2022, parent(s) utilizing in-home provider services shall acknowledge, by signing a self-attestation, that the parent is considered the employer and is responsible for complying with any applicable federal and state employment laws, including but not limited to minimum wage requirements. 4.5.3 Shortages in the supply of child care Lead Agencies must identify shortages in the supply of child care providers that meet parents’ needs and preferences. What child care shortages has the Lead Agency identified in the State or Territory, and what is the plan to address the child care shortages? a. In infant and toddler programs: i. Data sources used to identify shortages: Data sources used to identify shortages include The Local Child Care and Development Planning Councils (LPC) Zip Code Priority Reports; LPC Child Care Assessment Reports. Additionally, Local Resource and Referrals (R&Rs) conducts comprehensive needs assessments annually and on an ongoing basis. The Lead agency also uses annual Child Care Initiative Project (CCIP) data, and the California Child Care Resource and Referral Network Biennial Portfolio. ii. Method of tracking progress: Local R&Rs and LPCs conduct comprehensive needs assessments annually and on an ongoing basis. Additionally, Local R&Rs conduct comprehensive needs assessments annually and on an ongoing basis. This tool can be used as a framework for local agencies to update with local information. iii. What is the plan to address the child care shortages using family child care homes? The state will prioritize support for home-based child care providers who enroll families receiving child care subsidies. The lead agency administers the LPCs, and pursuant to California’s WIC sections 10480 to 10487, they are required to submit annual local priorities data to identify and reflect all child care needs in all 58 counties (including center-based child care). This data is submitted to the lead agency and is used to identify child care deserts and to drive state subsidized child care spaces. Also, the Infrastructure Grant Program supports child care facility shortages via grants to center-based and family child care providers. The grants support new and major construction as well as minor renovations and repairs for the purpose of reducing child care deserts and serving more children via slots. Additionally, The CCIP is a statewide project funded to build supply and improve the quality of care specifically focusing on exempt and family child care providers. Efforts include recruiting license exempt providers to become licensed, as well as providing supports to assist small homes with a goal of increased capacity and inclusion of infants and toddlers. Activities to support retention of child care providers are also included. The California Child Care Resource and Referral Network team supports local R&R agencies by providing a training of trainer model that utilizes culturally sensitive multilingual training based in the California Foundations and Frameworks and other research based best practices such as Caring for our Children as well as supporting and articulating Department of Social Services Community Care Licensing Title 22 requirements. iv. What is the plan to address the child care shortages using child care centers? The LPCs, pursuant to California’s Welfare and Institutions Code (WIC) sections 10480 to 10487, are required to submit annual local priorities data to identify and reflect child care needs in all 58 counties (including center-based child care and infant and toddler care). This data is submitted to the lead agency and is used to identify child care deserts and to plan for the allocation of subsidized child care funding. In addition, the Infrastructure Grant Program supports child care facility shortages via grants to center-based and family child care providers. The grants support new and major construction as well as minor renovations and repairs for the purpose of reducing child care deserts and serving more children via slots including infant and toddler care. The lead agency also provides professional development to support providers working or seeking to work with infant and toddler specialized care. Some of the recent professional development specific to infant and toddler care include providing training and technical assistance through the Program for Infant/Toddler Care (PITC), direct consultation through the Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) Network, and infant/toddler specific training through California Early Childhood Online and Family Child Care at its Best. b. In different regions of the State or Territory: i. Data sources used to identify shortages: Data sources used to identify shortages include Local Planning Council (LPC) Zip Code Priority Reports; LPC Child Care Assessment Reports. Additionally, Local R&Rs conduct comprehensive needs assessments annually and on an ongoing basis. ii. Method of tracking progress: Local R&Rs and LPCs conduct comprehensive needs assessments annually and on an ongoing basis. Additionally, Local R&Rs conduct comprehensive needs assessments annually and on an ongoing basis. This tool can be used as a framework for local agencies to update with local information. iii. What is the plan to address the child care shortages using family child care homes? The lead agency administers the LPCs, and pursuant to California’s WIC sections 10480 to 10487, they are required to submit annual local priorities data to identify and reflect all child care needs in all 58 counties (including center-based child care). This data is submitted to the lead agency and is used to identify child care deserts and to drive state subsidized child care spaces. Also, the Infrastructure Grant Program supports child care facility shortages via grants to center-based and family child care providers. The grants support new and major construction as well as minor renovations and repairs for the purpose of reducing child care deserts and serving more children via slots. Additionally, The CCIP is a statewide project funded to build supply and improve the quality of care specifically focusing on exempt and family child care providers. Efforts include recruiting license exempt providers to become licensed, as well as providing supports to assist small homes with a goal of increased capacity and inclusion of infants and toddlers. Activities to support retention of child care providers are also included. The California Child Care Resource and Referral Network team supports local R&R agencies by providing a training of trainer model that utilizes culturally sensitive multilingual training based in the California Foundations and Frameworks and other research based best practices such as Caring for our Children as well as supporting and articulating Department of Social Services Community Care Licensing Title 22 requirements. iv. What is the plan to address the child care shortages using child care centers? The lead agency funds the LPCs, and pursuant to California’s WIC sections 10480 to 10487, they are required to submit annual local priorities data to identify and reflect all child care needs in all 58 counties including center- based child care. This data is submitted to the lead agency and is used to identify child care deserts and to drive state subsidized child care spaces. Also, the Infrastructure Grant Program supports child care facility shortages via grants to center-based and family child care providers. The grants support new and major construction as well as minor renovations and repairs for the purpose of reducing child care deserts and serving more children via slots. c. In care for special populations: i. Data sources used to identify shortages: Data sources used to identify shortages include the LPC Zip Code Priority Reports; LPC Child Care Assessment Reports. Additionally, Local R&Rs conducts comprehensive needs assessments annually and on an ongoing basis. ii. Method of tracking progress: The CCDD tracks progress by monitoring LPC zip code priority reports for every county across California. Additionally, The California Child Care Resource and Referral Network Portfolio data provides an overview of the supply and demand for child care by county. The portfolio data enables CCDD to understand individual family needs. iii. What is the plan to address the child care shortages using family child care homes? The Lead Agency funds the LPCs, and pursuant to WIC sections 10480 to 10487, are required to submit annual local priorities data to identify and reflect all child care needs in all 58 counties including family child care. This data is submitted to the lead agency and is used to identify child care deserts and to drive or plan to allocate state subsidized child care funding based on need. Also, the Infrastructure Grant Program supports child care facility shortages via grants to center-based and family child care providers. The grants support new and major construction as well as minor renovations and repairs for the purpose of reducing child care deserts and serving more children via slots. iv. What is the plan to address the child care shortages using child care centers? The lead agency funds the LPCs, and pursuant to WIC sections 10480 to 10487, they are required to submit annual local priorities data to identify and reflect all child care needs in all 58 counties (including center-based child care). This data is submitted to the lead agency and is used to identify child care deserts and plan allocation of state subsidized child care funding based on need. Also, the Infrastructure Grant Program supports child care facility shortages via grants to center-based and family child care providers. The grants support new and major construction as well as minor renovations and repairs for the purpose of reducing child care deserts and serving more children via slots. Child care slots are inclusive and available for children with special needs. The local resource and referral programs allow families and caregivers to filter and select individual child care needs and then provides referrals to families. If a family selects a child care center and selects supports for a child with special needs, they will be provided with that information. Additionally, the lead agency provides professional development and training to support providers who support children with special needs. Some of the recent professional development opportunities available include a series of webinars dedicated to supporting knowledge in quality inclusive practices, five per year in total, with regional technical assistance offered following each webinar to help participants put what they learned into action and work through specific questions with an inclusion facilitator. Additionally, a training-of-trainers event, Beginning Together Inclusion Facilitators Institute, is held annually to expand the capacity of certified inclusion trainers across the state. 4.5.4 Strategies to increase the supply of and improve quality of child care Lead Agencies must develop and implement strategies to increase the supply of and improve the quality of child care services. These strategies must address child care in underserved geographic areas; infants and toddlers; children with disabilities, as defined by the Lead Agency; and children who receive care during non-traditional hours. How does the Lead Agency identify any gaps in the supply and quality of child care services and what strategies are used to address those gaps for: a. Underserved geographic areas. Describe: The lead agency identifies child care gaps through the annual Zip Code Priorities reports and addresses them by prioritizing funding to reduce child care deserts. Additionally, the Child Care Initiative Project is another initiative used to identify child care shortages and deserts, particularly within the workforce. Efforts include recruiting license-exempt providers to become licensed, as well as providing support to assist small homes with the goal of increased capacity and inclusion of infants and toddlers. b. Infants and toddlers. Describe: The lead agency identifies child care gaps through the Local Planning Council annual Zip Code Priorities data reports and the needs assessment. The lead agency addresses the gaps by prioritizing funding to infant and toddler programs. In addition to prioritizing funding supports to increase supply, the Lead Agency also provides professional development to providers through webinars, conferences, training, and technical assistance (including college credit bearing professional development) to improve the quality of child care services for infants and toddlers. These are provided through the Program for Infant/Toddler Care (PITC) as well as coaching offered through the California Coaching Companion, which offers coaching cycles specifically for the care of infants and toddlers. c. Children with disabilities. Describe: The lead agency identifies child care gaps through the Local Planning Council Zip Code Priorities data, and the needs assessment and addresses them by prioritizing funding to children with disabilities. In addition to supports to increase supply, the Lead Agency also provides professional development and resources to improve the quality of child care services for children with disabilities. This is accomplished through the Beginning Together program, which provides training and technical assistance as well as a training of trainers to support inclusion in early learning and child care settings. The California MAP to Inclusion and Belonging also provides information and resources to providers on serving children with disabilities and the California Teaching Pyramid and the California Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) Network both support providers in providing quality care to children with disabilities. d. Children who receive care during non-traditional hours. Describe: Local Resource and Referral (R&R) agencies identify gaps through comprehensive needs assessments annually and on an ongoing basis. Also, by expanding child care programs that are available during nontraditional hours and responsiveness to flexible schedules is essential to the availability of quality child care. Efforts also include recruiting license-exempt providers to become licensed, as well as providing support to small family child care homes to increase capacity. e. Other. Specify what population is being focused on to increase supply or improve quality. Describe: Programs and providers supporting children and families who have experienced trauma are supported through mental health consultation. The California Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation (IECMHC) Network (formerly known as the California Inclusion and Behavior Consultation (CIBC) Network) uses a tiered system of support allowing access to an expanded suite of infant and early childhood mental health consultation resources, materials, and services. Services are provided to center-based early learning and care providers as well as family child care and family, friend and neighbor providers. This strategy focuses on improving the quality of care. Additionally, through the Emergency Child Care Bridge (ECCB) Program, child care providers have access to trauma informed care training and coaching. Training and coaching is intended to help child care providers learn practical strategies for working with children who have experienced trauma. The California Child Care R&R Network develops and delivers the training curriculum to certify trainers in the local R&R Programs. Providers do not have to be serving a child in the ECCB program to access these trainings from their local R&Rs. 4.5.5 Prioritization of investments in areas of concentrated poverty and unemployment Lead Agencies must prioritize investments for increasing access to high-quality child care and development services for children of families in areas that have significant concentrations of poverty and unemployment and do not currently have sufficient numbers of such programs. Describe how the Lead Agency prioritizes increasing access to high-quality child care and development services for children of families in areas that have significant concentrations of poverty and unemployment and that do not have access to high-quality programs. Consistent with statutory requirement, each fiscal year the budget identifies the amount of funding available for distribution in each program. The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) uses Local Child Care and Development Planning Council (LPC) zip-code priority reports, updated annually, to distribute funds in the form of contracts to the neediest zip codes in terms of infant/toddler care, preschool-aged care, and school-aged care. The LPC priorities indicate underserved areas at the zip code level. This information allows CDSS to reassess whether funding shifts are needed to increase the supply of early learning services in the neediest areas of the state. 5 Health and Safety of Child Care Settings Child care health and safety standards and enforcement practices are essential to protect the health and safety of children while out of their parents’ care. The CCDF provides a minimum threshold for child care health and safety policies and practices but leaves authority to Lead Agencies to design standards that appropriately protect children’s safety and promote nurturing environments that support their healthy growth and development. Lead Agencies should set standards for ratios, group size limits, and provider qualifications that help ensure that the child care environment is conducive to safety and learning and enable caregivers to promote all domains of children’s development. The CCDF health and safety standards help set clear expectations for CCDF providers, form the foundation for health and safety training for child care workers, and establish the baseline for monitoring to ensure compliance with health and safety requirements. These health and safety requirements apply to all providers serving children receiving CCDF services whether the providers are licensed or license-exempt, must be appropriate to the provider setting and age of the children served, must include specific topics and training on those topics, and are subject to monitoring and enforcement procedures by the Lead Agency. The CCDF-required annual monitoring and enforcement actions help ensure that CCDF providers are adopting and implementing health and safety requirements. Through child care licensing, Lead Agencies set minimum requirements, including health and safety requirements, that child care providers must meet to legally operate in that State or Territory. In some cases, CCDF health and safety requirements may be integrated within the licensing system for licensed providers and may be separate for CCDF providers who are license- exempt. This section addresses CCDF health and safety requirements, Lead Agency licensing requirements and exemptions, and comprehensive background checks. When responding to questions in this section, OCC recognizes that each Lead Agency identifies and defines its own categories of care. OCC does not expect Lead Agencies to change their definitions to fit the CCDF-defined categories of care. For these questions, provide responses that best match the CCDF categories of care.